Safety stop for internal combustion engines



Oct. 4-, 1938. R. E. KITTREDGE 2,131,811

SAFETY STOP FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Oct 22, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l water Jacked Thermostat Oct. 4, 1938. R. E. KITTREDGE 2,131,811

SAFETY STOP FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Oct. 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 3/! lgz 36 7b Fa Z 26 e P I 7 10" From Fuel zz Sta/aye 722M 44 water Jacket- Thermostat l I a I 6' V's/2t 76 76p of H022 1 From Fuel fitoraye Tank Oct. 4, 1938. R. E. KITTREDGE 2,131,811

SAFETY STOP FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Oct. 22, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Thermostat Patented Oct, 4, 1938 j SAFETY STOP FOR INTERNAL TION ENGHNES 1 PAT-ET;

COMBUS- .R Kittredg'e, Oil City, Pa assignor to Application October 22, 1931, Serial Renewed March 10, 1938 Joseph Reid- Gas Engine Company, ()il City,

{if 121 Claims. (01. '123198) This invention relates to safety devices for 'internal combustioniengine's'. The principal object of the invention is to provide a device which will stop the engine when it becomes overheated, due to lack of water or oilforfany other cause.

Itis aspecial object of the invention to provide a deviceof this kin'dwhich is independent of external influences and consequently ready for the emergency. at alltime H v Electrical safety; stops are known, but these have the disadvantage j of being dependent upon afsoulfce of electricity which may fail at the critical 1 momentg en account of 'a dead battery 'cr reakageoflines fin a Storm. The present invention operates by direct. mechanical means to cut ofi thesuppl comes overheated An incidental object of the invention is to combine a fuel heating chamber with the safety stopl v v I By way of example, two forms of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings,

yfofffuel when the engine be- 1 applied toja Dieselengine;

In the'drawings,

Fig. l isa plan view of one form of safety'stop in accordance withthe invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section Fig. o

Fig. 3is a'vertical's'ection on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention,

i by screws l0.

. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-95 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is an elevation partly in section of the device shown in Fig. 5, the view being from the right. 1

The safety stop device illustrated in Figs. 1-3 is a unit adapted to fit into a hole 2 in the water jacket 4 of a Diesel engine. The unit comprises a lower plate 6 and an upper plate 8 held together The lower plate is fixed to the water jacket 4 by screws I2 and is formed with a chamber M capped by the upper plate 8 and adapted to receive fuel from an inlet It. The fuel circulates from the inlet around a central column I8 to an opening 20 leading into a valve chamber 22 from which leads off an outlet port 24. The plate 6 being in direct contact a the water jacket transmits heat from the water to the fuel passing through the channel M, whereby the fuel is warmed and thus prepared for more rapid and complete volatilization.

At the top of the opening 20 is a valve seat 26 upon which seats a valve 28. This is the valve With the water in which cuts off the fuel supply when the engine becomes overheated. It is normally pressed toward its seat by a spring 38, but is held in retracted position by a looking arm 32 engaging in' a recess 34 in the shaft 38 of the valve. The 5 locking arm 32 is pivoted on a screw 38 and is urged by a spring all into engagement with the valve shaft 36. A second arm 42 rigid with the I locking arm 32 lies'against a spool 414 threadedly mounted upon the upper end of arod it. The rod 46' is vertically slidable in a bush @3, which extends through a hole 56 in the upper plate 8 and screws into athreaded hole 52 in the central 7 column l8 of the lower plate 6. The lower end of rod 46 bearsa socket head 54 t readedly connected to end plate 560i a thermostat bellows 58. The central bore of socket head 5 serves to guide the head upon a pin 5% standing up from the base of a cap. lit covering the thermostat bel-- lows. The cap 65 is fixed to the plate 6 by screws 62. This is a Wellknown form of thermostat and need not be described in greater detail here. A rise in temperature causes the bellows tocontract and raise the rod it. 3 At the lower end of spool 34 isan inclined skirt M which engages the arm 52 when the'temperature in the waterjacketsp'ace becomes sufficiently high to raise the spooljtl to that point. A further rise of the spool 34 cams the two armed lever 42, 32

in clockwise direction (Fig. 1) until it finally releases valve shaft 36, whereupon the valve is driven against its seat by spring 30 and closes the fuel line. A thermometer M may be mounted in the plate 6.

The height of spool 34 on rod 45 can be adjusted by unscrewing a lock nut E56, then screwing the spool up or down on the rod 46, and then tightening the lock nut 66 again. The height of the spool 44 on the rod 46 determines the degree of excessive temperature at which the valve stem 36 will be released.

It will be seen that the action of this safety stop is direct and positive and as nearly as possible free from external influences.

Valve 28 lies in a chamber 22 through which the fuel passes on its way to the outlet; consequently, the valve stem must be packed to prevent the escape of fuel. As an ordinary packing Figs. 4-6 show a safety stop device which is very similar to the one shown in Figs. 1-3. The similar parts bear the same reference characters as in the first three figures, with the addition of an a. Lower plate 6a and upper plate 8a enclose a fuel heating space I 40. from which a hole 20a leads into a valve chamber 22a. Controlling the hole 20a is a ball valve 84 above which is a valve stem 36a normally urged downward by a spring 30a. The spring bears at one end against a collar 86 resting on a shoulder 88 of the valve stem 36a and at its other end against a cap 99 screwed onto a threaded boss 92 on cap 18a. in which the valve stem 36a is guided. At the middle of the valve stem 36a is a recess 93 in which engages a ball 94 sliding in a hole 96 leading out through the side of cap 18a. A lever 98 fixed upon shaft I00 rockably mounted in bearings I02 has a finger 32a bearing against ball 94 and an oppositely directed arm 4211 into which is screwed a set screw I04. The lower end of the set screw stands above a rod 46a connected to end plate 56a of a thermostat bellows 580 similar to the one shown in Fig. 1.

During the normal operation of the engine, the parts are substantially as shown in Fig. 5. In this position ball valve 84 is free to rise and let fuel pass through opening 29a. If the temperature in the water jacket space becomes excessive, the thermostat bellows 58a forces up rod 46a, raises arm 42a, and lowers finger 32a sufiiciently to allow ball 94 to slide outward in its hole 96. This frees valve stem 36a, which is forced down by spring 30a against ball valve 320., thus shutting off the fuel. When the engine has cooled sufiioiently the device can be reset by pulling up knob I96 on the end of valve stem 39, whereupon arm 420. will drop down and press ball 94 back into recess 99, looking the valve stem 36a in retracted position.

In engines governed by by-passing fuel from the pressure side of the pump to the suction side the fuel entering the suction side in this way causes gassing and also variations in pressure which might be injurious to the suction line and to the packless joint at the valve. A vent I08 may be provided to relieve the variations in pressure and to provide an exit for the gas. This vent may open to the atmosphere or to the top of the fuel storage tank.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with the water jacket of an internal combustion engine, said water jacket having an opening therein, a fuel control device comprising a chambered plate-shaped member adapted to fit over and close said opening, whereby its inner surface will be in direct contact with the water in said water jacket, fuel admission and outlet means for said chamber, a valve controlling one of said means, means normally urging said valve to closed position, means for lock ing said valve open, a thermostat on the wall of said plate-shaped member in contact with the water in said water jacket, and means controlled by said thermostat for releasing said locking means.

2. In combination with the water jacket of an internal combustion engine, said water jacket having an opening therein, a fuel control device comprising a chambered plate-shaped member adapted to fit over and close said opening, whereby its inner surface will be in direct contact with the water in said water jacket, fuel admission and outlet means for said chamber, a valve controlling one of said means, means normally urging said valve to closed position, means for looking said valve open, a thermostat on the wall of said plate-shaped member in contact with the water in said water jacket, said thermostat being sealed to the bottom of said plate-shaped member to exclude water therefrom, said plate-shaped member having means forming a tubular channel therethrough, the inner end of which is covered by said thermostat, and means connected to said thermostat and extending through said channel for releasing said locking means.

3. In a safety device for internal combustion engines, fuel supply means, a valve adapted to close said means, said valve having a recessed stem for guiding the same in its movement, means normally urging said valve toward closing position, locking means engaging in the recess of said valve stem to hold said valve open, and means for releasing said locking means, comprising a thermostat device mounted in the water jacket of the engine.

RAY E. KITTREDGE. 

